Expanding Dan

Expanding Dan is a newsletter dedicated to Steely Dan, featuring diverse content including original interviews, detailed oral histories, exclusive audio stories, and comprehensive analyses of the band's music and history. It covers studio recording experiences, live performances, individual band member contributions, and the broader cultural impact of Steely Dan.

Music History Interviews Oral Histories Audio Stories Cultural Impact Recording Techniques Band Member Contributions Live Performances

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Dirty Work: The Oral History of Recording with Steely Dan – Part VI

255 implied HN points • 27 Dec 22

Donald and Walter had high expectations for musicians they hired.
They were not afraid to fire musicians who didn't meet their standards.
Donald and Walter would avoid confrontation and leave the firing to Gary Katz.

Tale of the tape

72 HN points • 24 Jun 23

Roger Nichols made a rough mix of Steely Dan's erased song on a cassette tape.
Roger Nichols' daughters found the cassette tape and played the original recording of the song.
The Nichols family plans to auction the cassette tape for the documentary about Roger Nichols.